Thursday, November 18, 2010

Ziti and Broccoli Rapini

Ziti and broccoli is a classic pasta. Only a small amount of cream or besciamella is used to sauce the ziti and broccoli. When this entree is made with broccoli rapini (broccoli rob) a whole new range of flavor is achieved. Delicious! Recipe: Saute 2 cloves of chopped garlic over medium heat with small splash of olive oil in a saute pan till it becomes golden colored. Add a couple handfuls of trimmed and coarse chopped broccoli rapini. Saute till the broccoli rapini is cooked a little less than al dente. Add a generous splash of cream. Add coarse ground black pepper and sea salt. Reduce the sauce over medium heat till the garlic cream sauce becomes a light medium sauce consistency. Stir in a little bit of grated parmesan cheese. After the cheese becomes part of the sauce, add a large portion of al dente cooked ziti pasta. (About a 6 to 8 ounce portion of ziti is good for this entree.) Toss all the ingredients together and place the pasta on a plate. Sprinkle a small amount more of fresh grated parmesan cheese on top of the pasta. The bitter broccoli flavor of broccoli rapini is a natural with a garlic flavored cream sauce. This is much more of a garlic cream sauce rather than a cheese sauce. Just enough parmesan should be added to give a hint of flavor. The coarse black pepper adds zest to this pasta. Only enough sauce should be made to just flavor the pasta and not to have the pasta swim in sauce. The traditional ziti and broccoli is uncomplicated just like this ziti and broccoli rapini recipe is. If you prefer a milder flavor, then use regular broccoli. Simple great flavors make this traditional pasta entree a real treat! Ciao Baby! ... Shawna